15 September 2009

Yemen: Amin Al-Naggar, 18, arrested after prayer

On his way home from midday prayers, Amin Al-Naggar noticed that someone was following him - he soon realized that Political Security agents were slowly pursuing him in military vehicles. Suspicious of their presence, he continued walking uncertain of what might happen. Within minutes, a plain-clothed agent confronted him and began to question him. He only had time to give his name and was then immediately handcuffed, thrown into a car and driven to an unknown location.

Amin Abdullah Ali Al-Naggar, 18 years old at the time of his arrest, is a student and Yemeni national living in the neighborhood of Al-Tahrir, Sana'a.  He is his family's sole bread-winner and since his arrest, they have suffered major financial difficulties.

For over two months after his arrest, his family was completely unaware of what had happened to him. Information ultimately came to light that Amin was being held incommunicado in Sana'a Political Prison.

Amin Al-Naggar's arrest and imprisonment carry all the hallmark signs of an arbitrary detention in Yemen: terrorism charges, arrest without warrant, lengthy incommunicado lock-up, and no judicial authority oversight.

Although Amin has now been detained for more than five months, his family was only recently able to visit him after putting pressure on the Yemeni authorities. Local Yemeni NGO, Hood, sent a letter to the Sana'a Attorney-General requesting that he visit the prison to verify the complaint in order that Amin be released or referred to the judiciary if there was a formal accusation.

Alkarama submitted his case to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 15 September 2009 requesting their intervention into this case.  



Yemen - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Accessed on 09.02.1987
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Due on 30.03.2015 (6th)
Last concluding observations: 23.04.2012

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 05.11.1991
Optional Protocol: No
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): Yes
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Overdue since 14.05.2014 (3rd)
Last concluding observations: 17.12.2009

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

No

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 01.2014 (2nd cycle)
Next review: -

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

No